Improvement in the manufacture of gas



M. H. STRONG. MANUFACTURE OF GAS. NO. 191,08Z.- Patented May 22,1877

lvrrnn MYRON H. STRONG, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO, LEMUEL W.SERRELL, TRUSTEE FOR SAID STRONG, SIDNEY CORNELL, HENRY M. PIERSON, ANDWALTER E. LAWTON.

IMPROVEMENT-IN THE'MANU FACTURE OF GAS.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 191,082, dated May22, 1871; application filed July 26,1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MYRON H, STRONG, of the city of Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement inthe Manufacture of Gas, of which the following is a specification I makeuse of petroleum or similar liquid hydrocarbon, and run the same into aheated retort. The carbon is deposited, and the gas that is liberated ispassed through coal in a heated condition, and in so doing there isadded olefiant gas, or the gas becomes sufficient] y carbureted to beavailable for illuminating purposes. When the temperature of theapparatus becomes too low to operate advantageously the supply ofpetroleum is stopped, the gas-making ceases, the retort is shut oit'from the gas-holder, and atmosphere is admitted into the retort to burnup the carbon that was deposited. during the gas-making operation,thereby heating the retort again. This operation is farther aided by thecombustion of the coke from the coal. The products of combustion go 011'by a'chimney, and the draft is aided by a jet of steam. When the retorthas become sufliciently heated, the escapechimney is closed, and thegas-making resumed by the admission of petroleum or similar hydrocarbon.

In the drawing, Figure l is a vertical section of the apparatus, andFig. 2 is a sectional plan at the line a: w. y

The retort is composed of the walls a with in an air-tight metal casinglined with firebrick, and containing the ranges of vertical tubes b,which are preferably made of clay, and supported at their lower ends bynarrow vertical partitions of fire-tiles, so that both ends of the tubesare open. These tubes are used as a heating-surface for vaporizing anddecomposing the petroleum that is supplied at the upper end of theretort by a pipe, 01, and the gas passes down through these tubes 1) andalong the horizontal flue 6 over the fire bed f, and through the hopperg containing the coal, thence by the pipe h to the gasholder.

In place of clay tubes, broken brick or other suitable material may beused, as shown in my patent dated J une' 27, 1876.

There is a door, It, at the end of the tire-bed f, and another door, l,to the ash-pit it below It, and there is a cap, m, to the hopper g.These doors and cap are to be made so that they can be closed air-tightby a luting of clay or otherwise.

The chimney "r is above or connected with the retort a, and there is acontraction at r and a pipe, 1' with a nozzle, that is in the center, sothat the discharge of steam promot-es the movement of the air-draftthrough the retort.

A valve, 8, preferably of iron or steel, with a sharp cylindrical edgeresting upon a ring of copper, serves to close the chimney tightly whennot in use. The chimney r is preferably surrounded with a casing forheating atmosphericair, that can be allowed to pass by the pipe and cock.9 to the horizontal flue e, and there are tubes t t passing through thewalls of the retort and closed at the outer end by mica or glass, andeach provided with a valve, 3, that serves to protect the glass or micafrom heat, but which valve maybe turned momentarily to allow theattendant to inspect the interior of the retort and judge of the heat ofthe same.

The operation is as follows: The retort being heated by fire upon thegrate-barsf, and the chimney-valve open, the required temperatureisobtained; the chimney-valve s is closed and coal introduced into thehopper g, and the doors k and l and cover m are closed tight 1y;petroleum is run or forced in by the pipe (1 the heat vaporizes anddecomposes the same, and the carbon deposits upon the tubes as the gasdescends and the gas, in a highlyheated condition, goes by the flue 0,over the fire-bed, through the coal in the hopper g to the pipe h,thence to the water-seal of the by draulic main of the gas-works asusual. The hydrogen of the retort combines or mixes with the gas fromthe coal, and, after a little practice, the operations can be conductedso as to s, and steam is supplied to the jet 0', and,

heated air is allowed to pass intov theretort from the pipe 8. Theresult is that a violent combustion takes place of the carbon depositedupon the surfaces of the tubes. This, with the combustion of. the coke,eflects the rapid and thorough heating of the retort and tubes, and theheated atmosphere through the pipe 8' supplies the oxygen that isnecessary to consume the carbon in the retorts. When this is done, thedoor 1, valve 8, and valve 8, are all closed again, and the petroleumadmitted so that the gas-making operations again take place.

I claim as my invention- The herein-described process ofmanufacturingilluminating-gas, which consists in subjecting thehydrocarbon to a high degree of heat, whereby the carbon will bedeposited within the retort, and carbureting the result- ;ing gas bypassing; it through incandescent carbon, and, subsequ ently, to make theprocess continuous, reheating the retortby the combustion of' thecarbondeposited'from the liquid and the incandescent coke, substantially assetforth,

Signed by me this 11th day of July, 1876.

MYRON H. STRONG.

Witnesses:

Gno. D. WALKER. GEo. T. PINCKNEY.

